Control apparatus



March 8, 1960 c. M. RlvELY CONTROL APPARATUS '7 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Jan. 16, 1959 March 8, 1960 c. M. Rlvl-:LY

coNTRoL APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Jan. 16, 1959 INVENTOR. tm/2 fr. z/VELY.

March 8, 1960 c. M. RlvELY CONTROL APPARATUS 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 16, 1959 FIG. 5.

IN VEN TOR.

.aff/l? M. IWL/.e1 Y.

March 8, 1960 c. M. RlvELY CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 16, 1959,

7 Sheets-Sheet 4 no lso me 5 lez lsz e STATION Nv 5 .STATION N1 l FIG. 7.

INVENToR. n 5w? M. Ffm-L Y.

March 8, 1960 c. M. Rlvl-:LY 2,927,679

' CONTROL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 16, 1959 7 sheets-sheet s FIG. 28. [if] FIG.29. n

STAT. N2 7 March 8, 1960 c. M. RlvELY coNTRoLAPPARATUs Filed Jan. 1s. 1959 '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 j .MEO ZO LEO .OmE

CONTROL APPARATUS Clair M. Rively, Rockaway, NJ., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 16, 1959, Serial No. '787,240

11 Claims. (Cl. 1925-40) ratus for such filament mounting machines.

In the manufacture of incandescent lamps, a coiledcoil filament (produced by winding a primary coil around rates Patent O a second mandrel) is most commonly utilized because it is easier to mount with automatic iilament-mounting machines than the single primary coil., In addition, such Acoiled-coil filament is more efficient because of the radiant heat exchange effect of the adjacent coils and theV limited heat transfer'to the argon gas within the bulb.' During the second coilng of the coiled-coil filament, the mandrel from the primary ceiling is left in place to prevent distortion of the first coil during such second coiling. When this mandrel is acid-dissolved out of the coiled-coil filament, the stresses induced in the filament during the second coiling cause spring-back in the coiled-coil filament so that the filamentsvary about 4.0 mm. in length and hence in turns per inch, even though each such coiledcoil filament contains the same total length of uncoiled tungsten wire. Heretofore the legs of the coiled-coil filament were mounted in the hooks provided in the lead wires of the stem by a filament-mounting machine of the type shown in U.S. Patent No. 2,736,344, issued February 28, 1956, to L. E. Dilts, which machine picked up thecoiled coil filament and positioned the legs in ,the hooks, closed the hooks on the filament legs,` and stretched the mounted filament to a fixed lighted-filament length (i.e. length of filament between the lead wires).

Since a 1% change in the length of the uncoiled tungsten wire in the coiled-coil filament between the lead wires produces a 14% change in lamp life, the filament legs must be clamped in the lead wires very accurately. Such accurate positioning was not possible with this conventional apparatus. In an effort'to improvel the performance of this conventional filament-mounting ma- .l chine, positioning pads were utilized (after the filament legs were positioned in the hooks) to force the ends of the filament legs inwardly to a fixed distance from the hooks. However, since firstly the positioning pads were only capable of pushing the filament legs 0.5 mm. inwardly before the flimsy filament distorted and since secondly the variation in the filament length in a normal batch of coils is 4.0 mm., this positioning technique was unreliable. It was then necessary to hand sort such coils into about eight groups, each group being within a 0.5 range of filament length. Each such group was delivered to the mounting machine in a separate container land if only one mounting machine wasproducing lamps of a device shown in Fig. 3. l Fig. 5 is a vertical-sectional View along the line V--V of Fig. 4 in the direction of the` arrows and showing the Patented Mar. 8, 1960 HCC 2' l memorizes the size variation in each measured filament, and transmits the information to the associated filamenttransferring and orienting apparatus at the proper time to cause the latter to be automatically adjusted to receive and secure the measured filament and thus enable the apparatus to present uniform filaments to a filamentmachine.

The aforesaid objects of the present invention and other objects which will become apparent as the description proceeds, are achieved by providing control apparatus for filament-transferring and orienting apparatus,

which control apparatus measures each coil before presentment to the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus, memorizes each size variation and transmits this information at the proper time to the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus to automatically cause the adjustment of the filament-supporting means in the proper Y, Y

position to guarantee that each gripped filament has the same total length of uncoiled tungsten Wire between the Y filament-supporting means.

For a better understanding of the present invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts throughout the several views and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a lament-feeding device'for presenting filaments in succession to a filament-measuring station as such filaments are transported along la Vline'of movement, a lament-transferring and vorienting apparatus disposed adjacent the delivery end lof the filamentfeeding device, control apparatus for measuring the length 'of each filament while the latter is at the filament-measur` ing station and operable to adjust aV filament-supporting a predetermined standard, a filament-transfer device for transferring the measured filament froml the filamentfeeding device to the adjusted filament-supporting head of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus, while such head is ata filament-loading station, a portion of a conventional filament-mounting machine -which Vdisposes a stern to receive the oriented filament from the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus; and showing portions of the filament-supporting head at the filament-receiving station in horizontal section.

Fig. 2is a vertical-sectional view along the line II--Il of Fig. 1 in the direction of the arrows and showing the details of the associated devices and apparatus.

Fig. 2a is'an operational diagram illustrating the path of movement of the filament holder of the filament-transfer device. Y

Fig. 3 is a vertical-sectional View showing the details of the filament-feeding device and a filament-measuringA lhead of the control apparatus, and taken along the line III-III of Fig. 2. in the direction of vthe arrows and at the start of the filament-measuring operation.- j

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary vertical-sectional View of the filament-measuring head and filament-feeding details of the filament-feeding device and a top-holding shoe disposed adjacent the filament-measuring station of the filament-feeding device for retaining a filament on the filament-feeding device during the filament-measuring given wattage, the mounting machine was adjusted and changed over as many as about eight timesfor va given operation.

Fig. 6 is a vertical-sectional view of the filament-transi ferring and orienting apparatus taken along the line VI yl of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows vand showing an adjusting'mechanism for adjusting the position of theiilament-gripping jaws of the right-hand filament- ,y

apparatus, the turning mechanism for the filament-supporting heads and the means operatively associated with the adjusting mechanism for separating the filament-leg gripping jaws after a filament is secured-therein to cause stretching of the secured filament.

Fig. 7 is a horizontal-sectional view of a portion of the adjusting mechanism for the filament-leg gripping jaws and a portion of the indexing mechanism for the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus, taken along the line VII-VII of Fig. 6 in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal-sectional view of a filament-supporting head of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus at station 3, the filament-receiving station, the view being similar to that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 9 is a vertical-sectional view of the mechanism for opening and closing the filament-leg gripping jaws, taken along the line IX-IX of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows at station 3, the filament-receiving station, and showing such operating mechanism in open position.

Fig. 10 is a vertical-sectional view-taken along the line X-X of Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrows, showing the position of the adjusting mechanism for the filamentleg gripping jaws (while at station 3, the filamentreceiving station) at the beginning of the filament-stretching operation.

Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 10 but showing the position of the adjusting mechanism after the filamentsupporting head has indexed into station 6 and the filament-stretching operation has been completed.

Fig. 12 is a vertical-sectional view of the operating mechanism for the filament-leg gripping' jaws taken along the line XII-XII of Fig. 9 in the direction of the arrows and showing the jaws in the open position.

Fig. 13 is a view similar to Fig. 12 but showing the filament-leg gripping jaws in the closed position.

Fig. 14 is a diagrammatic plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and showing also the drive shafts and associated cams for causing the various operations performed by such apparatus.

Fig. 15 is a diagrammatic side-elevational view of the filament being measured and the filament-measuring head at the instant when the control apparatus is energized.

Fig. 16 is a diagrammatic side-elevational view of the filament-leg gripping jaws (while in the open position at station 1, the adjusting station for the filament-leg gripping jaws) and taken looking in from the outside periphery of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus.

Fig. 17 is a view similar' to Fig. 16 of the adjusted filament-leg gripping jaws, while at station 2, an idle station.

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Figs. 16 and 17 and showing the introdluction of the filament legs between the two pairs of open adjusted filament-leg gripping jaws at station 3, the filament-receiving station, while Fig. 19 shows the adjusted filament-leg gripping jaws closed about the filament legs.

Fig. 20 is a view similar to Figs. 16-19 and showing the turning of the filament-leg gripping jaws and the filament about 15 from the horizontal and the stretching of the filament during the indexing of the filament-supporting head from station 3 to station 4.

Fig. 2l is a view similar to Figs. 16-20 showing the further 15 turning of the filament-leg gripping jaws and filament to a position about 30 from the horizontal and the continued stretching of such filament during the indexing of the filament-supporting head from station 4 to station 5.

Fig. 22 is a view similar to Figs. 16-21 and showing a still further 15 turning of the filament-leg gripping jaws and filament to a position 45 from the horizontal and the continued stretching of such filament during the indexing of the filament-supporting head from station 5 to station 6.

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary side-elevational view of the lower portions of the lead wires of a filament mount secured in a head of the filament-mounting machine and showing the stretched rotated filament indexed into position between such lead wires at station 7, the filamentpresenting station, preparatory for the introduction of the filament legs in the hooks provided in the ends of lead wires. p

Fig. 24 is a vertical-sectional view along the line XXIV-XXIV of Fig. 23 in the direction of the arrows and showing lead-wire braces and a filament-clamping anvil (associated with the filament-mounting machine) in the retracted position adjacent station 7 of the filamenttransferring and orienting apparatus, preparatory for the clamping of the oriented filament legs in the hooks.

Fig. 25 is aview similar to Fig. 23 and showing the filament-leg gripping jaws and the filament turned 45 from the position shown in Fig. 23 to insert the legs of such filament into the open hooks on the lead wires.

Fig. 26 is a view similar to Fig. 24 and showing the lead-wire braces in engagement with the lead wires, the anvil advanced against the hooks in filament-clamping position, and lead-wire positioning arms also in engagement with the lead wires to secure the latter against the lead-wire braces, and illustrating the movement of a filament-clamping hammer toward the hooks resting against the filament-clamping anvil.

Fig. 27 is a view similar to Fig. 26 and showing the filament-clamping hammer in its forward position after the hooks have been clamped about the filament legs.

Fig. 28 is a view similar to Figs. 26 and 27 showing the retraction of the lead-wire braces and the filamentclamping anvil, the opening of the lament-leg gripping jaws of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus, preparatory for the indexing of the now open filament-leg gripping jaws out of station 7, the filamentpresenting station of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus, and the simultaneous indexing of the filament mount in the head of the filament-mounting machine from the adjacent filament-mounting station of the filament-mounting machine.

Fig. 29 is a side-elevational view of the filament mount preparatory to its departure from the now-open filamentgripping jaws at station 7 of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus.

Fig. 30 is a-diagrammatic view of the control apparatus of the present invention showing the filamenteasuring head,'the associated Cybernetics Package circuitry utilized for controlling a Ledex-Motor control circuit, Which circuit actuates the adjusting mechanism for the filament leg-gripping jaws on the heads of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus to adjust the heads to the measured filaments.

Fig. 31 is a diagrammatic View of the cyclical-binary code associated with the control apparatus of Fig. 30, the darkened areas representing the4 classes wherein the switches A2, B2 and C2 of Fig. 30 are closed.

Although the principles of the present invention are broadly applicable to the measuring of a dimension of an article prior to its introduction into an article-supporting means of an automatic-fabricating machine and to the adjusting of article-supporting means to accommodate such measured article, the present invention is particulariy adapted for use in conjunction with the measuring of coiled-coil filaments and the adjustment of a filament- Supporting head of a filament-transferring and orienting apparatus to adjust the filament-supporting means to compensate for any variation in such dimension from a predetermined standard.

With specific reference to the form of the present in- .vention illustrated in the drawings, and referring particularly to Figs. 1 and. 2, a filament-transferring and orienting apparatus (of the type disclosed in U.S. patent application Serial No. 787,165f1led January 16, 1959, by T. Hamilton et al. and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention) is indicated'g'enerally by the reference numeral 10. This filament-transferring and orienting apparatus is provided with a turret 11 on which are mounted a plurality of filament-supporting heads 12 (eight are shown in Fig. 1) which are indexable through a like number of work stations by a conventional indexing mechanism 14 (Figs. 6 and 7). To provide automaticmeans for individually feeding filaments 16 to a filament-supporting head 12 at station 3, the filamentreceiving station, of the filament-transferring and orientl ing apparatus 10, the filaments 16 are disposed in spaced relation on a filament-feeding device 18 which indexes such filaments 16 (in timed relation with the indexing of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 10) toward a filament-supporting head at station 3, the filament-receiving station. When a filament 16 having a length lv (Fig. arrives at a position in its travel along the filament-feeding device 18 (which position is two indexes before su-ch filament is transferred by a filament-transfer device 20 to the filament-supporting head 12 at station "3), the filament is measured by a measuring head 22 of a control means 24 (Fig. .30). The control means 24 responds to the measuringinformation and causes the adjustment of the spacing (Fig. 16) between two pairs of open and empty filament-leg gripping jaws .26 on a filament-supporting head 12 at station 1, the Station for adjusting these filament-leg gripping jaws 26. This adjustment of the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 insures that when Vthe filament-transfer device 20 de posits the measured filament 16 in the adjustedfilamentleg gripping jaws 26 (Fig. 18) at station 3,vthe filament-receiving station, and such jaws close about the legs of the measured filament 16 (Fig. 19) such legs project beyond the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 an equal distance, namely a (Figs. l6 and 19) on each side of ythe jaws 26.

The filament-supporting head 12 and filament 16 lare then indexed successively from station 3 (Figs. 1 and 2) to station 4, from station 4 to station 5 and from station 5 to station l6, during which indexes the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 are turned during each index about 15 in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Figs. 19-22, about the longitudinal axis P-.P of the head 12 from the position shown in Fig. 19 to the posin tion shown in Fig. 22 and such jaws are gradually sep arated in equal steps to slightly stretch the filament 16 from the length lv (Fig. 19) to the length ls (Fig. 22). The rotated filament-supporting head 12 and the now stretched filament 16 are then indexed into station 7 where the legs of such rotated filament 16 clear hooks 28 provided in 'lead wires 30 (Fig. 23) of a lamp stem, held in a head 32 (Figs. 1 and 14) of a conventional filament-mounting machine 34 and such legs are positioned in the plane of the hooks 2S. The stretchedl filament 16 is then turned in counterclockwise direction an additional 45 about the axis P--P from the position shown in Fig. 23 to the position' shown in Fig. 25 so that the filament legs are introduced'into the hooks 28, whereupon the hooks 28 are closed or clamped about such filament legs as shown in Figs. 27 and 28. Thereafter the lament-gripping jaws 26 are opened to permit the head 32 (Fig. 2) of the filament-mounting machine 34 'carrying the filament mount to index away from station 7 to the next work station on such filament mounting machine 34,

and the now empty filament-supporting head 12 to index to station 8, an idle station. During indexes from station 7 to station 8 and thence to station l the -head 12 isreturned to the starting position whereupon the above-described cycle is repeated.

Having described the general operation of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 10 and the control apparatus 2d the associated filament-feeding and filament transfer devices, and filament-mounting machine, ak more detailed description of the various devices and apparatus will now be given, beginning with the filament-feeding device 18 (Figs. 1-'5'and 14).

variable length flvf (Figs. 15 and 19) vary about 4.0 mm'.-

V Filament-feeding device The conventional filament-feeding device 18 shownjin j filament-supporting plate 36 and are advanced en masse one groove length at a time toward station 3 by a pair of walking beams 38,the filament-receiving station of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 10 during each index of the apparatus 10.

Assuming the walking beams 38 are in the starting or solid-line position shown in Fig. 5, this advancing movement of the filaments 16 is accomplished byvfir'st moving the advancing grooves 39 in the walking beams 38 (which are spaced apart the same distance as the filament-supporting grooves 37) backward (i.e. horizontallyito the left, as viewed in Fig. 5) one groove length or a distance d1 from kthe solid-line lower position shown in such figure, to align the advancing grooves 32 with the filament supporting grooves 37 thereabove. Upward movement of the walking beams 33 andistance d2` to the dotted-*line position shown in Fig. 5, causes the advancing grooves 39V to engage the vlegs of a numberof the filaments 16 supportedin the filament-supporting grooves 37, ywhich correspond in number to the number of advancing grooves 39and lift such filaments out of the filament-y supportng grooves 37. The walking beams 38 and all -the filaments 16 carried thereby are then advanced enl masse one groove length or a distance d3 to the right (while still in the elevated position) which again disfI is moved by a cam 44 (Fig. 14) on a firstdrive shaft 46' y of the lfilament-mvountimgmachine 34 through conventional lml'tage (not shown). In like manner another cam 4S on thls first drive shaft 46 is connected by suitable linkage and levers (not shown) for'the purpose of caus mg the above-described lifting and lowering (or vertical reciprocating) movement of the walking beams 38.

When a filament 16 is advanced along the filamentj v feeding device 18 to a position A (Fig. 2) which is" two indexes awayfrom a transfer position B, such fila-1v ment 16 is measured for length at position A by the measuring head 22 (Figs. 1-4, 6 and 30) of the control means 24. So that the filament 16 being measured will not be moved out of the filament-supporting groove 37 during this measuring operation, a shoe 50 (Figs. 1-5) is pivoted at 52 on the frame of thefilament-feeding device 18. Normally such shoe S0 rests on top of the filament-supporting groove 37 to allow the filament 16 t0 be moved within the groove 37 during'measuring without displacing it from the groove 37, the shoe 50 being free to pivot away from and toward the filament-support-l ing plate 36 during the advancing movement of the walk- Y ing beams 38.

It will be understood that the filaments 16 are randomly in length and Vhence in turns per inch) even though each such filament contains the same'total length of uncoiled tungsten wire. Despite the variation in filament length, if v first the filament length lv is measured and secondly the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 into which the measured filament 16 is to be transferred are adjusted to grip the legs of such measured filamentv 16 with constant equal projectf Filaments 16 are fed manually or automatically Y Y into equi-spaced filament-supporting grooves 37 in *theV 7 ing portions "a (Figs. 16 and 29) then after the stretching of the measured filament 16 to a uniform length ls (Fig. 22), all such measured filaments will be mounted in the hooks 28 (Figs. 23-28) of the stem with a uniform fixed lighted-filament length (Le. length of uncoiled filament wire between the lead wires 31B).

inasmuch as the filaments vary about 4.0 mm. in length as above mentioned and are entirely acceptable when in the range of 20.6 mm. to 24.6 mm. (lm111 to mmf- Fig. 30), and the control means 24 is primarily designed for a total of eight function classifications, as hereinafter described more in detail, it is desirable to similarly classify the acceptable filament lengths into eight classes which can be done by dividing the 4.0 mm. variation into 0.5 mm. length ranges as follows:

The manner in which the measuring head 22 automatically measures and classifies the variable length filaments 16 on the filament-feeding device at position A (Fin. 2) will now be described in detail.

Measuring head At the filament-measuring position A (Fig. 2) on the filament-feeding device 13, a stationary contact 54 is mounted on and electrically insulated from the frame of the filament-feeding device 1S on one side of the fil"- ment-supporting grooves 37 in registry with one leg of the filament 16 to be measured. To provide a cooperating measuring means for the stationary contact 54, a movable contact 56 is insulatedly mounted for horizontal, reciprocable movement in a bracket 58 afiixcd to the frame of the filament-feeding device 18. As viewed in Figs. 3, 4 and 3D, this movable contact 56 is on the righthand side of the filament-supporting plate 36, and in registry with the other leg of a filament 16 to be measured when disposed-in the filament-supporting groove 37. This movable contact 56 is initially movable from its starting position toward the left, as viewed in Figs. 3 and 4, to engage the adjacently disposed leg of the filament 16 to be measured and push it along the groove 37 to the left until the opposite leg thereof engages the stationary contact S4, whereupon the control means 24, as hereinafter described more in detail, is energized to cause adjustment of the filament-gripping jaws 26 (of a filament-supporting head 12 at station 1 of the filamenttransferring and orienting apparatus 1%) preparatory for the reception of the measured filament 16 at station 3. The stationary contact 54, filament 16 being measured, and the movable contact 56 function as a starting switch (Fig. 30) for the control means 24.

From a consideration of Figs. 3, 4 and 30, it is apparent that the movable contact 56 must move horizontally from the starting position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 (where it is retracted to permit advancing of the filaments on the filament-supporting plate 36) a distance greater than the difference between 24.6 mm. (l11.,a,1," Fig. 30) and 20.6 mm. (lm111).

To provide this horizontal reciprocable movement of the movable contact 56, a roller 60 (Fig. 3) on the movable contact 56 is biased by a spring 62 into engagement with a wedge-shaped cam 64 forming a part of the control means 24 and which is mounted on a rod 66 for vertical reciprocating movement causing horizontal reciprocating movement of the bracket 58. The rod 66 is driven through conventional linkage (not shown) by a cam 68 (Fig. 14) on the first drive shaft 46 of the filament-mounting machine 34. As shown in Fig. 30 the wedge-shaped cam 64 reciprocates between the lower dotted-line position and the upper dotted-line position traveling a distance S in one direction. Of this distance 8, only the distance M is utilized for initiating operation of the control means 24 for measuring purposes.

Before proceeding with the detailed description'of the function and operation of the measuring head, it is deemed advisable to first describe the control means 24 (Figs. 2, 3, 6 and 30), which is operatively associated therewith.

Control means The control means 24 forming part of the present invention makes use of static switching devices which are now well known to the art of automatic control and are very succinctly shown and described in the article Static Switching Devices by Robert A. Mathias, published in the May 1957, issue of Control Engineering. Although nnmerous logic-unit circuits for controlling under various desired conditions are apparent from such article, the controlmeans 24 employs only the AND; NOT; OR; and MEMRY logic units, as hereinafter described, which it has been found give adequate control for the above noted eight filament-length classiications.

By reference now more particularly to Figs. 30 and 31, it will be noted that the verticaliy reciprocal wedgeshaped. cam 64 is provided with three switch operating cams A1, B1 and C1, the cam surfaces of which are so interrelated to each other and to the tapered surface of the wedge-shaped cam 64, as well as to the respective rollers 7i) (Fig. 3) carried by switch-operating springbiased plungers 72, as to effectively operate as a cyclicalbinary code corresponding to the eight filament-length classications as above set forth. Solely for purposes of iilu'stration it will be noted that in Figs. 30 and 31 each of these cam surfaces A1, B1 and C1 have been shown with eight graduations corresponding in total length to the distance M and with each cam surface and its respective graduations differing from the other surfaces in each instance. This relationship accordingly gives rise to the tot-al of eight combinations of conditions as shown in Fig. 31 and which results in the cam surfaces A1, B1 and C1 causing depression of the spring-pressed piungers 72 as the rollers 7i) ride over the cam surfaces, with attendant closure of switches A2, B2 and C2 in predetermined sequence. As shown in Fig. 3, the springbiased plungers 72 are horizontally reciprocable in a housing 74 which, together withl the control switches A2, B2 and C2, are mounted on the filament-feeding device 1S.

Also solely for illustrative purposes, the spacing between the stationary contact 54 and the movable contact S6 in Fig. 30 is shown with a total of eight graduations which are intended to depict the total of eight acceptable filament-lengths, varying from max, to "Im1n within the classifications above noted, and which likewise corresponds to the eight combinations produced by `the c am surfaces A1, B1 and C1. Assuming now that the filament 16, having a length between 22.6 and 23.1 and hence in class 4, is fed into position between the contacts 54 and 56, the upward movement of the wedgeshaped cam 64 will cause movement of the movable contact :Se into engagement with the adjacent end of the filament f1.6 and push it transversely of the supporting plate 36 until its opposite end engages the stationary contact 534 which immediately closes a circuit to the AND logic-unit A9 from a LPower Supply 76 through a conductor 73, the filament 16 and a conductor Si).

Since the AND function, as described in the abovementioneu article, operates only when a given number of input signals are applied thereto, which in the instant case are two such input signals, the other input signal is supplied from a NOT logic-unit N1 through a conductor S2, with such NOT logic-unit N1 being of the type which produces an output signal when' no input signal is supplied thereto. lThe manner and conditions under which an input signal is supplied to the NOT logic-unit N1 so that no output therefrom is supplied to the AND logic-unit A8, will be hereinafter described. However, since the NGT logic-unit N1 normally supplies one input signal to the AND logic-unit A9, closure of the other input circuit by the filament 16 causes immediate closure of the A8 output circuit extending from the latter through a conductor 84 to one side of each of the cam-operated control switches A2, B2 and C11 and having their respective plunger-rollers 70 engaging the cams A1, B1 and C1 at the locations shown by the shaded area and constituting the No. 4 area of such cams as shown in Fig. 30. The other contact of each of these control switches is connected to identical but independent logic-units utilized, as hereinafter described more in `detail, to cause operation of relays A8, B8 and C8.

By reference to Fig. 30 it will be noted that with a class 4, filament 16 being measured only the control switch B2 is then closed by the cam-surface B1, so that the other side of this switch B2 completes a circuit successively to a first MEMORY logic-unit B8, and AND" logic-unit B1 and a. second MEMORY logic unit B5, with the output from the latter being supplied to one side of a winding 86h of a relay B8. Thesev MEMORY logic-units B8 and B5 (as well as A8-A8 and C8-C5) are of the unlimited type and deliver an output following the imposition of an input signal, until such time as a second input signal is impressed thereon which then stops the output from such MEMORY logic-unit. The relay B8 is provided with a pair of normally-open contacts Sb and a pair of normally-closed contacts 90b which form part of DC. energizing circuit for a drive means, such as a Ledex Motor 92, for operating an adjusting mechanism 94 for the lament-leg gripping jaws 26 of a filament-supporting head 12 at station l of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 10.

Accordingly with a class 4 filament 1 6 being measured and with only control switch B8 then closed, Va signal from the AND logic-unit A8 is then supplied to the MEMORY logic-unit B8 causing a resultant output sig nal therefrom to both an OR logic-unit O8 and the AND logic-unit B1. This OR logic-unit O11` is of the type described in the above mentioned article and produces an output which is fed to the NOT logic-unit N1 Whenever an input signal is received thereby from any one of vthe MEMORY logic-units A8, kB8 and C8. When an input signal is thusreceived bythe NOT logic-unit N1, the output signal therefrom is immediately removed from the AND logic unit A8, lwith attendant cancellation of its output signal through control switch B2 to the MEMORY logic-unit B8, all of .which occurs before the sections 4 of the cams A1, B1 and C1 leave the rollers t of the plungers '72.

However, prior to the reception of the input signal by the AND logic-unit B1 from the MEMORY logicunit B8 a signal-advancing cam 108, Figs. 14 and 30, on a second drive shaft 110 of the filament-mounting machine 34, causes closure of a switch 112 thereby resulting in the supplying of the needed advancing output (independently of control switch B8), through line 114 to the AND logic-unit B4 and producing an output signal from the latter which is then supplied to both the MEMORY logic-unit B and to an OR logic-unit O1.

The input signal to the OR logic-unit O1 through a conductor 116 results in an output signal to the MEM- ORY logic-unit B3 through a line 118 with attendant cancellation of the output signal from the latter to the OR logic-unit O2 and to the AND logic-unit B1. However, an output signal from the MEMORY logicunit B5, which was induced by the now discontinued input signal thereto (from AND logic-unit B1), con- 10 tinues to cause energization of the coil 8'6b, thereby resulting in the continuing closure of normally-open contact Seb and opening of the normally-closed contact b of the relay B8 to the dotted-line position as shown in Fig.

Closure of the normally-open contact 8Sb results in a closed energization circuit for the drive means 92,

which extends from one side of a D.C. Supply source through a conductor 96, the now-closed contact 88b, a 8

conductor 9817, a contact 99h of the switch B7 andthe conductor to the drive means 92 and from the latter back to the other sideof the D.C. Supply source,"resulting in rotation of the cam shaft 102 and different shaped cams A8, B8 and C8 carried thereby in clockwise direction, as viewed inFig. 30. Solely for illustrative purposes these cams have been shown divided into eight segments on each side of their respective diameters cor'- responding to the above-mentioned acceptable filament classifications. 'Upon rotation thereof section 4" of such cams A8, B8 and C8 eventually engage respective spring-biased plungers 104.

As cam sections "2 of the cams A8, B8 and C8 move into engagement with the respective plungers 104, the

continuing lowered portion of such sections u2 on thevv 2 on the cam A8 moves the operating blade 117 of its associated switch A1 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 30, thereby causing such blade '117'to engage contact 101a lwith attendant closure of an additional by-pass energization circuit for the drive means 92, extending from the D C. Supply through line conductor 96, normallyclosed contact 90a, the now-closedcontact 101a of the switch A1, the line conductor 100 tothe drive means 92 and thence to other side of D.C. Supply.

Closure of these two energization circuits for the drive means 92 results in continuing clockwise rotation of the cams A8, B8 and C8 (Fig. 30) to being their respective sections 3 into engagement with the spring-biased plungers 104. The continuing lowered section "3 of the cam C8 causes no change in its associated switch C7. The raised section 3 causes no change in its associated switch C1. The raised section 3" of the cam B8 however causes movement of its plunger 164 and blade 117 to the left with the blade 117 moving away from the contact 99b of the switch B7 and into engagement with the contact 101b, thereby opening the previously-closed energization circuit through the still-closed contact 8817. Since the normally-closed contact 90b is nowopen, a circuit is lnot then completed through such contact 90b even though contact 101i: is now closed.

However, since section "3 of the cam A11 is a continuing raised portion of section 2, the previously mentioned closed energization circuit still exists through the switch A, to the drive means 92 thereby resulting in the continuing rotation of the cams A8, B8 and C8 to position 4.

The movement of the sections 4 of Ithe cams A8 and B8 and C8 into engagement with their respective plungers 104 causes no change in the condition of the switches B1 and C7. However, the lowered section-4. of the cam A8 permits its plunger 104 to move -to the right, as viewed in Fig. 30, with attendant movement of the blade 117 of the switch A1 away from the contact 191i: and into engagement with the contact 99a. This movement of the blade 117 opens the only remaining energization circuit for the drive means 92 which was closed by the contact 90a of the relay A8 as well as the contact lilla of the switch A7. The drive means V92 accordingly ceases to Yoperate and the cam shaft 102 and cams A8, B8 and C8 driven thereby cease to rotate. Shortly before the indexing of the lament-feeding device 18, a resetting cam 121 (Figs. 14-30) on the second driveshaft 1.1.0 of the filament-mounting machine 34 closes a switch 123, thereby transmitting a voltage signal through conductor 125 to the MEMORY logic-unit B5. This voltage signal cancels the output signal from MEMORY Logic-unit B to the coil Sb of the relay B preparatory for the next filament-measuring and jaw-adjusting operation.

It will be obvious from the foregoing'that if only one sizeor class of filament i6 were being measured, or high speed operation were not desired, only one control switci"L B2 would be required and the energizing circuit closed thereby could directly include the coil Sb ci the relay B6. However, since the pr sent apparatus is designed to measure filaments 16 of both shorter and longer lengths than the class 4 filament as above described, the remaining control switches A2 and C2 together with identically associated logic-units and relays are provided to cause the desired operation of the drive means 92 at the appropriate time. The only ditierence in the operation from that above-described, resides in a shorter upward travel of the wedge-shaped cam 64 before the movable contact 56 engages a filament 16 of greater length than the above-mentioned class 4 filament, and such wedgeshaped cam 64 travels upward a somewhat greater distance before such movable contact 56 contacts a filament -16 of shorter length than a class 4 filament. in either instance, however, when the wedge-shaped cam ,6sidoes cause the filament 16 to close a circuit to the AND logic-unit A9, then the respective cam surfaces A1, B1 or C; will be in such position, depending upon the lament length, as to cause closure of'one of the control switches A2, B2 or C2. Upon theclosure of any one of such control switches, its associated logic-units (which are identical to that above described with respect to the control switch B2) are causedto operate in the same manner with attendant energization of the respective relays 86a, 3611 or 36C and closure of identical energization circuits to the drive means 92 under control of the rotating camsAS, B8 or C8, as the case may be.

Adjusting mechanism for filament-leg gripping jaws This above-described clockwise rotation (Fig. 30) of the cam shaft 102 from position l to position 4 is utilized in accordance with the present invention to adjust the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 (of a filamentsupporting head 12 at station l of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 16) to receive such measured filament 16 when a head 12 is indexed to station 3." For this purpose a helical lifting cam 118 (Fig. 6) on the cam shaft 102 is disposed in operative engagemeut with a roller 119 on a lever 12d pivoted at 122. A yoke 124 on'the free end of the lever 12@ is connected to a cam track 126 which is vertically reciprocable in the frame portions of the filament-transferring and orient-ing apparatus 10. As the filament-supporting head 12 indexes into station l from station 8 a roller 12S carried by a rod 139 which is frictionally reciprocable in the frame portions of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus engages the cam track 126. The frictionally reciprocable rod 13u is connected by a bellcrank lever 132 (pivoted at 134) and a yoke 136 to an operating Wedge 138 which is horizontally slidable within a rotatable body 137 of the filament-supporting head 12. This body 137 rotates about the longitudinal axis P-P (Figs. 2 and 8) of the filament-supporting head 12, the geometric axis being utilized, as hereinafter explained, to produce uniform length of filament between the leading-in and supporting conductors to which it is conuected.

As shown in Fig. 8, the movable pair of filament-leg gripping jaws 26 is mounted on a bracket 139 slidable in the head 12 and biased by a spring 1de to a fixed bracket 141 on which the pair of fixed filament-leg gripping jaws 26 is mounted so-` that an adjustable spacer 15E-2 aiiixed to the slidable bracket 139 rides on the operating end of the wedge 138.

It will be apparent that the previously described clockwise rotation, as viewed in Fig. 30, of the cam shaft 162 and the helical lifting cam 118 carried thereby from position l to position 4 causes the left-band end of the lever 120, as viewed in Figs. 6 and 7, the yoke 124, the cam track 126 and the frictionally-rcciprocable rod 13S to move upwardly with resultant counterclockwise rotation of the bell crank lever 132, and retraction of the operating wedge 138 to the left, as viewed in Fig. 6, and to the right as viewed in Fig. 8. This retraction of the wedge 13S permits the spacer 142 to ride downwardly on the operating end of the wedge 138 and the springbiased pair of movable filament-leg gripping jaws 26 to move closer to the pair of fixed filament-leg gripping jaws. This lateral spacing of the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 from each other permits such jaws to receive the previously measured filament 16 (which was the third filament from the end of the filament-feeding device 18 when at position A" of Fig. 2) with au equal amount of overhang a (Fig. l5) `ou either side of such jaws, when the filament-supporting head 12 arrives at station 3. As shown in Figs. 8, 16 and 29, the pair of fixed filament-leg gripping jaws 26 (shown in the upper portion of Fig. 8) is always disposed a distance ls--Za 2 After the lateral spacing between filament-leg gripping jaws 26 has been set to receive the previously measured filament 16 by the above-described operation of the mea"- uring head 22, the control means 24 and adjusting mechanism 94; a cam 144 (Fig. 14) on the second drive shaft of the filament mounting means 3d actuates the conventional indexing mechanism 14 (Figs. 6 and 7) to cause the adjusted filament-supporting head 12 at station 1 to be indexed to station 2, an idle station. Simultaneously therewith the previously measured filament 16 is advanced by the filament-feeding device 18 to the right, as viewed in Fig. l, one position closer to position 3 (intermediate A and B) (Fig. 2), the transfer position. During this indexing of the filament-supporting head 12 to station 2, the roller 128 (Fig. 6) ou the rod rides out of the cam track 126 but the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 remain in the adjusted position since the rod 13d (Fig. 6) is frictionally held by its bearings in its adjusted position. During the next indexing movement of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 1t), the adjusted filament supporting head 12 is moved from station 2, the idle station, to station 3, the lament-receiving station and the previously measured filament 16 is advanced ou the filament-feeding device 18 to position B (Fig. 2) from which it is transferred by the filament-transfer device 20 to the open but adjusted filament-leg gripping jaws 26 at station 3.

Filament-transferring device The filament-transferring device 2l), shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, has a filament cradle 146 adapted to receive and support the barrel of they previously measured filament 16 being transferred'. Such filament cradle 146 is adapted to be swung from the solid-line position shown in Fig. 2, where it is in alignment with the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 to the left (per dotted arrow 1' Fig. 2a) into alignment with the previously measured fiiament at position B of the filament-feeding device 18. Such filament cradle 146 is then moved upwardly in the direction of the dotted arrow 2' (Figl 2t`z)'to engage the barrel of the filament 16 and to remove the latter from the last advancing groove 39 in the walking beams 38 at position B. The filament cradle 146 and the previously measuredfilament 16 carried thereby are then swung to the right while in the elevated position, as indicated by the dotted arrow 3' in Fig. 2a, to deposit the legs of this previously measured filament 16 in the spaced preset filament-leg gripping jaws 26 as shown in Figs. 8 and 18. Thereafter the filament cradle 146 is moved downwardly, as indicated by the dotted arrow 4 (Fig. 2a), to the position shown in Fig. 2, leaving the measured filament 16 in the filament-leg gripping jaws 26.

In order to swing the filament cradle 146 through the i above-described oscillating movement, ysuch filament cradle is pivoted at 148 and an arm 150 on such pivot 148 is connected by a connecting rod 152 and other conventional linkage (not shown) to a cam 154 on the sec-A ond drive shaft 110 of the filament-mounting machine 34 (Fig. 14). The means utilized to vertically reciprocate the filament cradle 146 comprises mounting thepivot 148 for such filament cradle 146 on a slide 156 which is vertically lreciprocable in the frame portions of the -filament-feeding device 18 byV avca'm 158 on the first drive shaft 46 of the filament-mounting machine 34, the-cam 158 being suitably coupled to the slide 156 by conventional means (not shown). v v

After the previously measured filament 16 has been deposited in the openpreset frilament-leg gripping jaws 26 at station 3, such jaws are closed about the legs of the measured filament 16 (Fig. 19) by jaw-closing mechanism at station 3, the filament-receiving station.V

Jaw-closing mechanism shaft 170 journalled in the brackets 141 and 139. The' cam sections 166 and 168 are rectangular in cross section, utilizing the long side of such sections (Fig. l2) to keep the jaws open and the short side (Fig. 13)V to close the jaws. Since the slidable bracket 139 is movable with respect to the shaft 170 and the cam section 168 thereof, the cam section 16S is desirably Vlonger than the cam section 166. .In order to cause the clockwise rotation of the shaft 178 and the cam sections 166 and 168 from the jaw-opening position, shown in Figs. 6 and 12, to the jaw-closing position, shown in Figs. 2 and 13, the shaft 170 is provided with a `radially extending contact arm 172. The means utilized -to move the contact arm 172 from the down or jaw-opening position, shown in Fig. 12,.to the up or ,jaw-closing position', shown in Fig. 13, comprises a plunger 174 (Fig. 2) slidably mounted in the frame portions of the filament-transfer ring and orienting apparatus 10 and driven through conventional linkage (not shown) from a cam 176 (Fig. f4) on the first drive shaft 46 of the filament mounting ma; chine 34.

After the legs of the previously measured filament 16 have been deposited in the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 (Figs. 8 and 18) by the filament-transfer device 18 with an equal overhang a on either side thereof, the jaw? opening cam 176` (Fig. 14) causes the plunger 174 to move upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 2. During this upward movement the plunger 174 moves the contact arm 172 clockwise from the down or jaw-opening position shown in Fig. 12 to the upper or jaw-closing position, shown in Fig. 13, where the short sides of the cam sections 166 are positioned between the spring-biased ljaws 26, thereby securing the legs of the previously measured 20) by means operatively associated with the operating Wedge 138 of the adjusting mechanism 94 for separating the jaws 26. In addition, the jaws 26 and the filament 16 are turned 15 about the longitudinal Vaxis* P-P (Fig. 2) during this index'from the horizontal to the position-shown in Fig. 2'0 by a turning mechanism' for the filament-supporting heads-12.

Jaw-separating .mechanism "The means .utilized for laterally separating the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 during the above-mentioned index'from stationl 3, to station 4 of theV filamenttransferring and orienting apparatus 10 comprises a cam 178 (Figs. '1, 2 and 6) affixed to the-top of a center post 180 upon which the turret 11 is indexable. VThe periphery of this cam 178 is contoured so that the cam is not engaged by a cam follower'182 carried by the slidable operating wedge 138 during the indexing Vof the filamentsupporting head from station l to station 3" even though the filament-leg gripping jaws '26 may have been set at Astation 1 for the smallest class of filament 16 (namely class ,8" extending from 20.6 mm. to 21.1 mm.) and thegcam follower 182 is in its innermost position, as viewed'in Fig. 1. y d

A As the filament-supporting head 12 is indexed from station 3 to station. 4, the periphery of the cam 178 forcesthe cam follower '182.` and the wedge 138 out wardly, as viewed in Fig. 1,'so that the spacer 142 carried by the slidable bracket 139 rides upwardly on the operating end of the operating wedge 138 and the pair of movable filament-leg gripping jaws 26 (shown as the lower jaws of Fig. 8) is moved away from the pair of stationary jaws 26 thereby stretching slightly the previously measured filament 16 from the position shown in Fig. 19 to the position shown in Fig. 20. At this point the distance from the axis P-A-P (Fig. 20) to the pair of movable jaws 26 is still less than 2 the distancerfrom axis P--P to the pair of fixed jaws. During the stretching operation thev filament-supporting head 12 is simultaneously turned 15.about the axis P--P by the turning mechanism.

Turning mechanism As shown in Figs.y 1, 2, 6 and 8, the body 137 of each filament-supporting head 12 is mounted for rotation within the turret 11 of the filament-transferring andl orienting apparatus lilabout the longitudinal axis P-P of the head 12 and has a toothed segment 184 (Fig. 8)'- n its periphery disposed adjacent and in engagement with a rack portion 186 of a rod 188 (Figs. '1, 2, 6 and 7) slidable in the frame portions ofthe filament-transferring and orienting apparatus 10.l :In order to cause vertical reciprocating movement of the rod 188 and resultant rotation of the housing 137 of the, filament-supporting head 12, a roller 190 on the bottom ofthe rod 188 is biased by a spring 192 (Figs. 2 and 6) into engagement Y with a cam track 194 extending peripherally around 15 the rod 188 and the rack portion 186 thereon to move upwardly, with resultant rotation of the body 137, the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 and the previously measured filament 16 secured therein in counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig, 19, through an angle Vof 15 about the axis P--P to the position shown in Fig. 20.

Thereafter as such filament-supporting head indexes from station 4 to station 5, the previously measured filament 16 is further stretched by the operation of the cam 178from the position shown in Fig. 20 to the position shown in Fig. 2l. Simultaneously therewith during such index the cam track 194 further moves the roller 190, the rod 188 and the rack portion 186, upwardly to further rotate the body 137, the jaws 26 and the previously measured filament 16 an additional 15 in counterclockwise direction about the axis P UP from the position shown in Fig. 2O to the 30 angle shown in Fig. 21.

As the filament-supporting head 12 indexes from station 5 to station 6, the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 are further rotated counterclockwise 15 about the axis P-P to the 45 position shown in Fig. 22 and such previously measured filament is stretched to a final stretched length ls as also shown in Fig. 22. The distance between axis P-P Vand the pair of movable jaws 26 (Fig. 29) is now equal to the distance between axis P-P and the pair of fixed jaws 26. The center of the stretched larnent 16 now lies on the longitudinal axis P--P of the lament-supporting head 12.

With the previously measured iilament 16 disposed in the 45 position shown in Fig. 22, such filament is ready for the indexing thereof from station 6 to station 7, the filament-presenting station, and the introduction of the legs of such .filament (Fig. 23) between the hooks 28 in the lead wires 30 of the stem secured in the head 32 at the filament-mounting station of the filament-mounting machine 34 adjacent such station 7. Such filament 16 is then aligned in the plane of thehooks 28 preparatory for the insertion of the legs of the filament 16 thereinto.

When the filament-supporting head 12V arrives at station 7 the filament-presenting station, the roller 190 rides onto a vertically reciprocable section 19,6 of the cam track 194, which section'196 is movable upwardly, as viewed in Fig. 6, a distance d (indicated by the arrow in such figure) to similarly elevate the roller 190, the rod 188 and the rack portion 186 with resultant rotation of the housing 137, the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 and the stretched previously measured filament 16 secured therein an additional 45 in counterclockwise direction about the axis P-.-P from the position shown in Fig. 23 to that shown in Fig. 25 (which is 90 from its original position when initially picked up, as shown in Fig. 19), where the legs of the Yfilament 16 are positioned in the hooks 28 preparatory for the lament-leg clamping operation. Since the hooks are spaced apart a distance (Figs. 23 and 29) ls-2d and are equi-spaced from the longitudinal axis P-P of the iilarnent-supporting heads 12, the legs project from the hooks 28 an equal distance d on each side. Each mounted lament 16 will accordingly have the same lighted-filament length of lf-Zd, when mounted.

In order to accomplish this final rotation of the previously measured filament 16, the reciprocable section 196 (Fig. 6) is mounted on a slidable operating rod 198 which is connected by conventional linkage (not shown) to a cam 200 (Fig. 14) on the first-drive shaft 46 of the filament-mounting machine 34.

Filmnent-leg clamping After the legs of the previously measuredrlament 16 have been inserted into the hooks 23 at station 7, the @ment-presenting station, of the lament-transferring and orienting apparatus 10,'a filament-clamping anvil 202 (Figs. 1 and 2) and a pair of lead-wire braces 204 (associated with the filament-mounting machine 34 at the iilament-mounting station) are moved inwardly toward the hooks 28 and the legs positioned therein from theA position shown in Fig. 24 to the position shown in Fig. 26. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the filament-clamping anvil 202 and lead-wire braces 204 are mounted on a slide 206 which is horizontally reciprocable in the frame portions of the filament-mounting machine 34. Such slide 206 has a roller 208 biased by a spring 210 into engagement with a cam 212 which is vertically reciprocable also inthe `frame portions of the iilament-mounting machine 34. The means utilized to vertically reciprocate the cam 212 and ause the resultant horizontal movement of the slide 206 (and the anvil 202 togetherwith the lead-wire braces 204 inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 24 to the position shown in Fig. 26) comprises a lever 214 coupled to the cam 212 at 216 and connected by a connecting rod 218 and conventional linkage (not shown) to a cam 220 (Fig. 14) on the first drive shaft 46 of the filamentmounting machine 34.

Thereafter, lead-wire positioning arms 222 and an associated filament-clamping hammer 224 (one for each hook 2S) are swung inwardly toward the associated hook 28 positioned on the anvil 202 and the lead wires 30 on the lead-wire braces 204, the lead-wire positioning arms 222 securing the lead wires 30 in guide slots provided in the lead-wire braces 204 (Fig. 26) before the hammers 224 engage the open hooks 28. The hammers 224 continue inwardly towards such open hooks 28 from the position shown in Fig. 26 to the position shown in Fig. 27 to close the hooks 28 about the legs of the previously measured filament 16.

To permit the above-described swinging movement of the hammers 224 and the lead-wire positioning arms 222, each hammer 224 is mounted on a vertically extending rod 226 (Figs. 1 and 2) which is rotated in the frame portions ofthe filament-mounting machine 34 and each leadwire positioning arm 222 is pivoted ,at 228 on the associated hammer 224. In order that each lead-wire positioning arm 222 engages the lead wire 30 before the associated hammer 224 engages the hooks 28, the lead-wire positioning arm 222 is biased by a spring 230 (Fig. 1) into a position forward of the operating end of the hammer 224. The means utilized to cause the rotation of the rods 4226, hammers 224 and lead-wire positioning arms 222 toward the hooks 28 and the lead wires 30 comprises conventional linkage for connecting the rod 226, shown in theupper portion of Fig. 1, to a cam 232 (Fig. 14) on the first drive shaft 46 and the other rod 226 to a cam 234 on the second drive shaft 110 of the filament-mounting machine- 34.

After the clamping of the legs of the previously measured filament 16 in the hooks 28 has been accomplished,

` the hammers 224 and lead-wire positioning arms 222 are swung backwardly from the position shown in Figs. l and 27` and the anvil 202 and lead-wire braces 204 are retracted to the position shown in Figs. 24 and 28. Preparatory to the indexing ofthe head 32 of the filamentmounting machine 34 out of the filament-mounting station, the filament-leg gripping jaws 26 are moved from the closed position shown in Fig. 27 to the open position shown in Fig. 28. In order to move the contact arm 172 from a'position similar to the closed position shown in Fig. 13 to a position similar to the open position shown in Fig. 12, an operating pin 236 (Fig. 2) is mounted on Va bell-crank lever 238 pivoted at 240 on the frame portions of the filament-mounting machine 34 and the other end of the lever 238 is connected by a rod 242 and conventional linkage (not shown) to a jaw-opening cam 244 (Fig. 14) on the second drive shaft of the filament-mounting machine 34.

At a time determined by the jaw-opening cam 244 the connecting rod 242 is moved downwardly, as viewed in 17 Fig. 2, and the operating pin 236 swung from the position shown in such gure into engagement with the contact arm 172, thereby moving the latter from a position similar to that shown in Fig. 13, to a position similar to that shown in Fig. 12, thus causing rotation of the cam sections 166 and 168 with resultant opening of the lament-leg gripping jaws 26. It will be understood that in order to permit the indexing of the now emptyv and open filament-leg gripping jaws 26 from station 7, the filament-presenting station, to station 8, that the operating pin 236 is immediately thereafter retracted to the position shown in Fig. 2 by operation of the jaw-opening cam 244. Thereafter, the filament-supporting head 12 of the filament-transferring and orienting apparatus indexes from station 7, the filament-presenting station, to station 8 and during such index the head 12 is turned 45 in clockwise direction about the axis P-P to the position shown in Fig. 1. Simultaneously therewith, or later as desired, the head 32. (Fig. 2) of the lament-mounting machine 34 indexes froml the filament-mounting station of such machine 34. The iilament-supporting head 12 then indexes from station 8 to station 1, the station for adjusting the filamentleg gripping jaws 26, and such head 12 is further turned 45 in clockwise direction about the axis P--P to the position shown in Fig. l. Thereafter, the abovedescribed filament-measuring, lament-leg adjusting, iilament-rotating and lilament-stretching, filament-presenting and filament-mounting operations are repeated.

It will thus be obvious to those skilled in the art that the objects of the present invention have been achieved by the provision of control apparatus which automatically measures, memorizes the size variation in each measured iilament and transmits the information to an associated filament-transferring and orienting apparatus at the proper time to cause automatic adjustment of the lament-leg gripping jaws, thereby enabling the latter to receive and secure the measured lilament and to present filaments having uniform lengths to the filament-mounting machine.

While in accordance with the patent statutes one best known embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be particularly understood that the invention is not limited thereto or thereby.

Iclaim:

1. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure thev article at predetermined locations thereon, comprising measuring means for measuring a dimension of the article prior to the introduction of the latter into the articlesupporting means, control means operatively associated with and actuated by the measuring means, and adjusting means connected to the article-supporting means and loperable by the control means to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may secure the article at thepredetermined locations as determined` by saidmeasuring means.

2. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure theA article at predetermined locations thereon, comprising a xed member disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to move the article into contact with the xe'd member thereby electively measuring a dimension of the article when such contact is made, control means operatively associated with said movable member and actuated when such contact is made, and adjusting means connected to the article-supporting means and operable by said control means to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations.

3. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means `adapted to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a fixed member disposed adjacent the article, a

. movable member operable to move the article into contact with the iixed member thereby effectively measuring a dimension of the article when such contact is made,

'binary-code means operable in unison with the movablev member to convert the position of the movable member when contact is made into an electrical signal, and adjusting means connected to the article-supporting means and responsive to such electrical signal to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations. Y

4. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operablefto secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a fixed member'disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to move the article into contact with the tixed member thereby eifectively measuring a dimension of the article when such contact is made, cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and at the same speed as the movable member, circuit-closing means operatively associated with the cam means and closable thereby when contact is made, and adjusting means connected to the article-supporting means and responsive to closure of the circuitclosing means to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may Vsecure the article at the predetermined locations.

5. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, come prising a fixed member disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to move the article into contact with the Xed member thereby eiectively measuring a dimension of the article when such contact is made, cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and at the same speedas the movable member, circuit-closing meansoperatively associated with the cam means and closable thereby when contact is made, an adjusting-mechanism connected to the articlesupporting means, drive means connected to the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, said energizing means being responsive to closure of the circuit-closing means to energize the drive means thereby causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may secure the article at the Vpredetermined locations. j

6. Apparatus for an adjustable.article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a iixed member disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to movethe article into contact with the fixed member thereby eiectively measuringV a dimension of the article when such contact is made,4l

cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and at the same speed as the movable member, circuit-closing means operatively associated with the cam means and closable `thereby when contact is made, an adjusting mechanism connected to the articlesupporting means, drive means connected to the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, said energizingV means being responsive to closure of the circuit-closing means to energize the drive means thereby causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the article-supporting means so thatthe latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations and binary-code means operable in unison with the drive means and associated with the energizing means to convert the movement of the drive means into an electrical signal which causes the energizing means to detact with the fixed member thereby effectively measuring a dimension of the article when such contact is made, a first cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and a't the samespeed as the movable member, a first circuit-closing means operatively associated with the first cam means and closable when Contact is made, an adjusting mechanism connected to the article-supporting means, drive means connected to the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, said energizing means being responsive to closure of the firstV circuit-closing means to energize the drive means thereby causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations, a second circuit-closing means associated with the energizing means, and a second cam means on the drive means adjacent the second-circuit closing means and movable in unison with the drive means, said second cam means being operable `t`o open the second circuit-closing means' thereby causing theene'rgizing means to deenergize the drive meansl at the required time.

8. Apparatus for `an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a fixed member disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to move the article into contact with the fixed member thereby effectively mreasur, ing a dimension of the article, a first cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and at the same speed as the movable member, a first circuitclosing means operatively associated with the rst cam means and closable thereby when contact is made, an adjusting mechanism connected to the article-supporting means, drive means connected to the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, relay means having contact means disposed in the energizing means for causing energization and deenergization of the drive means, said relay means being responsive to closure of the first circuit-closing means to cause energization of the drive means thereby causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the article-supporting means so that the latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations, a second circuit-closing means associated with the energizing means, and a second cam means on the drive means adjacent the second circuitclosing means and movable in unison with the drive means, said second cam means being operable to open the second circuit-closing means thereby causing the energizing means to deenergize the drive means at the required time.

9. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a fixed member disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to move the article into contact with the fixed member thereby effectively measuring a dimension of the article when such contact is made, a signal-forwarding means operable to receive such signal, a rst cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and at the same speed as the movable member, a first circuit-closing means operatively associated with the first cam means and closable thereby when contact is made to pass on the electrical signal to the signal-forwarding means, an adjusting mechanism connected to the article-supporting means, drive means connected to the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, relay means having contact means disposed in the energizing means for causing energization and deenergization of the drive means, said relay means being responsive to an output signal from the signal-forwarding means due to closure of the second circuit-closing means to ultimately cause energization of*` the drive means thereby causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the articlesupporting means so that the latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations, a second circuit-closing means associated with the energizing means, and a second cam means on the drive means adjacent the secondcircuit closing means and movable in unison with the drive means, said second cam means being operable to open the second circuit-closing means thereby causing the energizing means to deenergize the drive means at thc required time.

10. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapte-i to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a fixed member disposed adjacent the article, a movable member operable to move the article into contact with the fixed member thereby effectively measuring a dimension of the article and to transmit an electrical signal when such contact is made, a first cam means adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and at the same speed as the movable member, a first circuit-closing means operatively associated with the first cam meansV and closable thereby when contact is made to pass on the electrical signal, a first MEMORY logic-function means operable to receive such signal through the first circuit-closing means and to produce a first output signal, signal-advancing means for providing au advancing signal for a predetermined period of time, a rst AND logic-function means operable to receive the iirst output signal from the first MEMORY iogic-function means and the advancing signal from the signal-advancing means thereby producing a second output signal, an OR logic-function means for receiving the second output signal from the first AND logic-function means and operable to provide a first cancelling signal to the first MEMORY logicfunction means thus causing cancellation of the first output signal therefrom, a second MEMORY logicfunction means for receiving the second output signal from the first AND logic-function means and operable to produce a third output signal, signal-cancelling means for providing a cancelling signal to the seconi MEMORY logic-function means at a predetermined time thereby cancelling the third output signal therefrom, an adjusting mechanism connected to the articlesupporting means, drive means connected to the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, relay means having contact means disposed in the energizing means for causing energization and deenergization of the drive means, said relay means being responsive toA the third output signal from these'cond MEMORY logic-function means to cause energization of the energizing means and hence the drive means thereby causing the adjusting mechanism to adjust the article-supporting means so' that the latter may secure the article at the predetermined locations, a second circuit-closing means associated with the energizing means, and a second cam means'on said drive means adjacent said second circuit-closing means and movable therewith, said second cam means being operable t0 open the-second circuit-closing means at the required time to dee'lerg'ize the drive means.

11. Apparatus for an adjustable article-supporting means adapted to receive an article and operable to secure the article at predetermined locations along its length, comprising a fixed member disposed adjacenty the article, a movable `member operable to move the article into contact with the fixed member thereby effectively measuring a dimension of the article and to transmit a first electrical signal when such contact is made, a NOT" logic-,function means operable to producea second electrical signal, a first AND logic-'function means operable to receive said first electrical signal from said movable member and said second electrical signal from said NOT logic-function means and operable to produce a first output signal, a first cam meansV adjacent the movable member and movable in unison with and' at the same 21 speed as the movable member, a rst circuit-closing means operatively associated with the first` cam means and the first AND logic-function means vand closable thereby when contact is made to pass on the first output signal, a lirst MEMORY logic-function means operable to receive such rst output signal through the first circuit-closing means and to produce a second output signal, a lirst OR logic-function means operable to receive the second output signal from the rst MEMORY logic-function means and to produce a rst cancelling 1o signal which is received by the NOT logic-function logic-function means for receiving the second output sig- 20 nal from the second AND logic-function means and operable to provide a second cancelling signal to the tirst MEMORY logic-function means thus causing cancellation of the second output signal therefrom, a second MEMORY logic-function means for receiving the third 25 output signal from the second AND logic-function azi.

means and operable to produce ya fourth output signal,

the adjusting mechanism, energizing means operatively associated with the drive means, relay means having contact means disposed in the energizing means for causing energization and deenergization of the drive means, said relay means being responsive to the fourth output signal from the second MEMORY logic-function means t0 cause energization ofV the energizing means and hence they the second circuit-closing means at the required time tov deenergize the drive means. 4

References Cited in the iile of this patent UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,742,137 Carroll Apr. 17, 1956A 

